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Nice to meet you, Ostryako-Vogulsk!

Ostryako-Vogulsk is an old name of Khanty-Mansiysk. Basically it’s just the old names of the Khanty and Mansi tribes, the names of which were used to create the city name. With all my respect to both ancient tribes I would call the city Old-New.

Yesterday a morning stroll took me through the old part of the city with the wooden one stored buildings but as you keep walking suddenly modern buildings appear from nowhere.

I like this contrast of new and old. The modern architecture brings the dynamic vibe into the city but the historic heritage makes the city more laid back then lets say Surgut.

On a Sunday afternoon people were taking a stroll or wondering around shopping malls. and almost no traffic on the streets.

The other very nice thing that I wanted to point out is the underpasses. They are heated! So if you are cold while wondering around the city just go into the underpass for 5 min, warm up and you can continue the stroll. They are also the spot for exhibiting the artworks, are accessible for people with limited abilities and are clean and bright. I could actually live there =)

In general the city is nice and clean. Quite small so everything is in a walking distance. And very modern in some parts, when for example you can see the light boxes on the bus stop with the schedule of public transportation and the amount of time left till the next bus comes.

It’s very useful indeed, I knew exactly how long can I hide in the warm underground pass watching the exhibition of the kids art works and could come to the bus stop exactly by the time the bus will arrive.

Another thing is the cathedral sitting on the top of the hill. They say that Khanty-Mansiysk sits on 7 hills like Rome. Not sure about 7 but I found one and the view from the top is splendid.

And in the evening you can enjoy the view of the archeological park – the park at the very edge of the city where a giant sculptures of the ancient animals and man tell you the story of this land.